ROME (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV's call for unity in diversity extends beyond greater communion within the Catholic Church and includes one's wider community, some newly appointed U.S. archbishops said.

Pope Leo has been a role model in a world marked by division, "to remind us we're all brothers and sisters and see one another as human beings," Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso of Mobile, Ala., told Catholic News Service in Rome June 29. 

"We're all part of one family," which inspires Catholics to see how they can help break down barriers, care for each other and foster unity through greater respect, compassion and kindness, he said after receiving the pallium -- a woolen band worn around the shoulders over Mass vestments.

Pope Leo gave newly appointed metropolitan archbishops their pallium in St. Peter's Basilica on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul; the pallium symbolizes each archbishop's bond with the pope and their responsibility to care for their people and to promote unity.

Four of the 35 archbishops receiving the pallium June 29 were from the United States, and they reflected on what they are being called to do as "shepherds." 

Speaking to The Good Newsroom June 29, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York said, "As I've received the pallium, I hope that my heart is united to the pope's heart and that together we can really be disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and continue to go out and make disciples."

Speaking with CNS, Archbishop Rivituso said, the pallium "reminds us to be good shepherds for those that we are so blessed and honored to serve, to serve our flock."

However, his archdiocese spans "the whole lower half of Alabama," he said, so "I not only have Catholics, but all those in that lower half that I'm called to show the pastoral care of Jesus to."

There are people in his region facing "tremendous poverty," homelessness, mental illness, domestic violence and human trafficking, he said; "So many who are out there who feel forsaken and forgotten."

"There are so many that we have to bring the care of Jesus to. And I really believe by working together, reaching out, developing relationships, fostering partnerships, we're fostering communion," the archbishop said.

Archbishop James F. Checchio of New Orleans told CNS June 29 he feels called to help people strengthen in-person, fruitful "relations and communion," given how many people are "really super involved with their phones and with their internet and kind of living this parallel life in a way." 

His archdiocese is using social media for evangelization with a new "Office for Evangelization and Communications" because so many people are online, he said. At the same time, they are gearing efforts to bring people back into an in-person community, too.

Their current nine-week program on pastoral outreach and evangelization on the Sacred Heart will culminate in a "Welcome Home Sunday" Aug. 14th, he said, "where we'll ask everybody to invite one person to come to church with them who doesn't usually come with them. Whether it's inviting someone back who's fallen away or drifted away or someone that's been hurt or someone that's searching, whatever, but to invite one person."

Archbishop James R. Golka of Denver told CNS June 28 the pallium "represents Jesus the Good Shepherd, and a bishop is called to participate in his shepherding of his flock, which is to look out for the lost and the least and to help bring them back."

He said he feels called "to be close to our Lord and to be fascinated by Jesus and want to talk about him to everybody." 

If people allow themselves to "be fascinated with Christ, you're going to fall in love with him. You're going to want to spend your life for him, and it's really fun to spend your life for the Lord,” he said. “So it sounds simple, but if we're not doing that basic thing, we're going to be lost.”

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